What to expect from the local government reorganisations/mergers

[chocolatespreadsandwich]

Asking for my mum (so have name changed ), so apologies if I get any terms wrong etc

She's worrying about the headlines about local government mergers. She works in finance for a county council and has been there 15 years or so. She's probably terribly underpaid for what she does and how hard she works but she really likes her colleagues and also loves that it's a 10 minute bus drive to work. She's about 8 years off the age when she was hoping to retire. I guess she's worrying what it's likely to mean, and I wondered if others have been through similar in the past? I know noone can say anything about the specifics but how quickly could it happen/ is she likely to be asked to work in another location etc? Will there be lots of redundancies and role changes?

(It's a big county with lots of district councils so I guess there will be a lot of organisations to merge together?)

It’s still new and any changes will take a long time to implement.

pureky speculation but I imagine if her council was impacted this could mean anything from no change to her, being TUPE’d, or worst case scenario being made redundant.

Is she in the LGPS and close to/over 55?

What's LGPS? She's 56

Yes I keep trying to say that I don't think anything will happen all that quickly, but she seems worried it will be rapid.

I think her biggest worry is redundancy because she doesn't really want the hassle of finding a new job at her age, and she's worried people won't want to employ someone older.

Ah sorry I looked LGPS up- yes she has a pension with the council.

But she didn't work till we were getting older so she's only got the 15 years at the council and a few years where she worked as a receptionist at a school before that. She's on quite a good salary now but she really wants to work till her Early 60s so that her pension is ok

It will takes years to go through if she's working in a county that hasn't already got plans to go the unitary or devolved mayoral route. It's likely that if it does go through things will be centralised at the county level, and it's the district/borough level roles that would be at greatest risk.

That's what I thought @DogInATent , surely it take a good few years for all the details to be sorted out? I don't see how it could happen as fast as she is worrying it could.

I think her role is one where there would be overlaps with jobs done in the smaller councils which is why she is worrying a bit. But she's valued where she is and has had quite a few promotions in her time there so hopefully that helps

That’s good OP: https://www.lgpsmember.org/your-pension/the-essentials/key-features/

Redundancy and efficiency retirement
If you are made redundant or retired in the interests of business efficiency when you are over age 55, you will receive immediate payment of the pension you have built up – providing you have met the two year vesting period. Any additional pension you have bought would be reduced if you are under your Normal Pension Age when you retire.
The earliest age that you can take your pension will increase from age 55 to 57 from 6 April 2028.

Ah thank you! I'll send her that, it should stop her worrying. She enjoys work, I think she'd rather keep going than retire early but equally she's past the point of wanting to look for a new job now